In the past with welding equipment, it has been difficult to obtain fine adjustments. It has been necessary to move the entire weld head, which was a somewhat difficult and awkward operation for the operator.
Furthermore, often the wire guide has become clogged with metal slivers, metal dust and other particulate material. This tends to clog the welding tip. In order to clean the wire guide it has been necessary to disassemble the entire welding assembly which is a time consuming operation, putting the weld equipment out of service during disassembly and reassembly.
Also, welding tips have a relatively short life, particularly under welding conditions wherein a large amount of current is required to carry out the welding operation. Replacement of welding tips can be a significant cost item in welding operations.